Kenward Elmslie
Kenward Gray Elmslie (born April 27, 1929) is an American writer, performer, editor and publisher associated with the so-called New York School of poetry. Life Elmslie was born in New York City, the son a British businessman and the daughter of newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer. He spent his childhood in Washington, D.C., and Colorado Springs, Colorado. He prepped at the St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard in 1950 earning a B.A. in literature. He began his career collaborating with composers on operas and musicals in an attempt to bring a contemporary style to classical theater. Among his theatrical works are The Grass Harp and Lola, both projects in collaboration with Claibe Richardson. His poetry and prose is often combined with the graphical work of other artists. During 1973 Elmslie began work as editor and publisher of Z Magazine and Z Press, working to promote the work of other New York School artists such as John Ashbery, Ron Padgett, James Schuyler, and perhaps most extensively, Joe Brainard. Elmslie’s work with graphic artists such as Brainard combined poetry with art to emphasis their interconnectedness; his work for theatre shows his commitment to art as a whole, not only to one medium. Writing Poet Alice Notley says of Elmslie’s Routine Disruptions (1998), “this is an icon, for me, of Elmslie’s work, its wild funniness, theatricality, brazenness, its love of art and objects”. Recognition A collection of his writing, Motor Disturbance (1971), won the Frank O'Hara Award for Poetry during 1971. He was awarded the National Endowment of the Arts Award for Power Plant Sestina (1967). Other honors include the Project for Innovative Poetry’s Gertrude Stein Award for Innovative Poetry, and an award from the National Council of the Arts, and a grant from the Ford Foundation,Kenward Elmslie b. 1929, Poetry Foundation. Web, Apr. 25, 2018. Publications Poetry *''Pavilions''. New York: Tibor de Nagy Editions, 1961. *''Album''. New York: Kulchur Press, 1969. *''The Power Plant Poems'' (with Ted Berrigan). VT?: C Press, 1970? *''Circus Nerves''. Los Angeles: Black Sparrow, 1971. *''Motor Disturbance''. New York: Frank O'Hara Foundation, 1971. *''Penguin Modern Poets 24'' (by by Kenward Elmslie, Kenneth Koch, & James Schuyler). Harmondsworth, UK, & Baltimore, MD: Penguin, 1973. *''ZZ''. Calais, VT: Z Press, 1974. *''Tropicalism''. Calais, VT: Z Press, 1975. *''The Alphabet Work''. Washington, DC: Titanic Books, 1977. *''Topiary Trek'' (with Karl Torok). New York: Topia Press, 1977. *''Communications Equipment''. Providence, RI: Burning Deck Press, 1979. *''Moving Right Along''. Calais, VT: Z Press, 1980. *''Bare Bones''. Flint, MI: Bamberger Books, 1995. *''Routine Disruptions: Selected poems and lyrics, 1960-1998'' (edited by W.C. Bamberger). Minneapolis, MN: Coffee House Press, 1998. *''Nite Soil''. New York: Granary Books, 2000. *''Agenda Melt''. New York & Boston: Adventures in Poetry, 2004. Collaborations with visual artists *''The Baby Book'' (with Joe Brainard & Burt Britton). New York: Boke Press, 1965. *''The 1967 Gamebook Calendar'' (with Joe Brainard). York?: 1967. *''The Champ'' (with Joe Brainard). Los Angeles: Black Sparrow, 1968; Great Barrington, MA: The Figures, 1994. *''Shiny Ride'' (with Joe Brainard). New York: Boke Press, 1972. *''Shiny Bun Mechanical Gun'' (with Joe Brainard). New York: Boke Press, 1972. *''Bimbo Dirt'' (with Ken Tisa). Calais, VT: Z Press, 1982. *''Palais Bimbo Snapshots'' (with Ken Tisa). Grindstone City, MI: Alternative Press, 1983. *''26 Bars'' (with Donna Dennis). Calais, VT: Z Press, 1987. *''Sung Sex'' (with Joe Brainard). New York: Kulchur Fountation, 1989. *''Pay Dirt'' (with Joe Brainard). Flint, MI: Bamberger Books, 1992. *''Cyberspace'' (with Trevor Winkfield). New York: Granary Books, 2000. Plays *''Miss Julie: An opera in two acts'' (with music by Ned Rorem). New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1965, 1968. *''Lizzie Borden: A family portrait in three acts'' (with music by Jack Beeson). New York & London: Boosey & Hawkes, 1966. *''The Sweet Bye and Bye'' (with music by Jack Beeson). New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1966. *''The Grass Harp: A musical play'' (with Claibe Richardson). New York: Samuel French, 1971. *''City Junket: A play''. New York, NY: Adventures in Poetry / Boke Press, 1972; Flint, MI: Bamburger Books, 1987. *''The Seagull: An opera in five acts'' (with music by Thomas Pasatieri). TX?: Grand Opera Assn.?, 1974? *''Washington Square'' (libretto; with music by Henry James). Melville, NY: Belwin-Mills, 1976. *''Three Sisters: An opera libretto'' (with music by Thomas Pasatieri). Calais, VT: Z Press, 1986. *''Postcards on Parade: A musical play'' (with Steven Taylor). Flint, MI: Bamberger Books, 1993. Short fiction *''The Orchid Stories''. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1973; Dalkey Archive Press, 2010; Brooklyn, NY: Song Cave, 2016. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Kenward Elmslie, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 25, 2018. Songs *''Love Wise'' composer: Marvin Fisher. Recorded by Nat King Cole *''Bang Bang Tango'', composer: Kenneth Deifik. Recorded by Estelle Parsons. Audio / video *''Poetry Reading at Hamilton College'' (cassette). Clinton, NY: Hamilton College, 1978. *''Rare Meat'' (cassette). Washington, DC: Watershed Tapes, 1979. *''Ben Bagley presents Kenward Elmslie Revisited'' (LP). New York: Painted Smiles Records, 1982. *''Palais Bimbo Lounge show'' (music LP; with Steven Taylor). New York: Painted Smiles Records, 1985. *''Interview and Reading'' (DVD). New York: Thin Air Video, 2006. Except where noted, discographical information courtesy WorldCat. See also *New York School poets *List of U.S. poets References *Ford, Mark. New York Poets II: An Anthology. Carcanet Press, 2006 *Bamberger, William C. Kenward Elmslie: A Bibliographical Profile. Bamberger Books, 1993. *Notley, Alice. “Elsmlie’s Routine Disruptions,” St. Mark’s Poetry Project Newsletter, 1999. Notes External links ;Poems *Kenward Elmslie at the Poetry Foundation ;Audio / video *Kenward Elmslie at YouTube ;Books *Kenward Elmslie at Amazon ;About *"The Great Kenward" at HyperAllergic *kenwardelmslie.com Category:American poets Category:Writers from New York City Category:People from Colorado Springs, Colorado Category:Harvard University alumni Category:St. Mark's School alumni Category:1929 births Category:Living people Category:New York School poets Category:American librettists Category:Opera librettists Category:Writers from Colorado